Efforts by the Sultanate of Oman in dealing with climate change issues are set to get pace and scale with the formation of a national committee to implement policies and action plans.
The National Committee for Climate Change and the Protection of the Ozone Layer, comprising 31 members, will be headed by Eng Nayef bin Ali bin Hamad al Abri, Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
In a statement posted on its Twitter handle, the Authority said, “The committee will follow up issues relating to climate change, take efforts to mitigate its impact and protect the ozone layer”.
The committee is part of the efforts to keep abreast of local and global developments in the field of climate change, to protect the ozone layer and to achieve joint cooperation between all relevant authorities, it said.
The Sultanate of Oman is one of the most vulnerable countries in the Middle East to the adverse impacts of climate change and has a heightened degree of awareness and concern about global warming and its adverse impacts.
In recent years, the country has stepped up its efforts in advancing its expertise and methodologies to better manage the climate change risks over the past five years.
It has embarked on serious structural reforms and transformative policies to lay the groundwork for a low carbon economy and shift to low-emission sustainable development pathways over the last five years.
Climate change is at the forefront of public and government consciousness due to the accelerated pace of changing climatic patterns being experienced in the country.
The Climate Change Strategy, adopted by the Omani government in October 2019, seeks to support a gradual transition to a low carbon economy and an energy matrix significantly lower in carbon emissions.
Through the strategy, national stakeholders have already begun to identify climate-resilient opportunities within a set of key vulnerable sectors, namely water resources, marine biodiversity, and fisheries; agriculture; urban areas; tourism and infrastructure; and public health.
According to the statement from CAA, the formation of the committee will help to define the Sultanate of Oman’s position on international issues related to climate change and the protection of the ozone layer.
“The committee will implement policies and national action plans which will gradually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the negative impacts resulting from climate change and protect the ozone layer in accordance with Oman Vision 2040”, it added.
@samuelkuttyvp
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
